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Dick and Deanne Rubinstein

Decades of infectious enthusiasm

When Dick and Deanne Rubinstein become interested in something or someone, good things start to happen.

The Rubinsteins have been involved with OHSU for 27 years as philanthropic partners, board and committee leaders and volunteers – and throughout that period they have maintained a legendary degree of passion for what happens at OHSU each day. When asked where they’ve made the most impact, they quickly name the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and the Marquam Hill Steering Committee. But the Rubinsteins actively support a number of other OHSU centers and endeavors, such as the Center for Ethics in Healthcare, the Center for Women’s Health, The Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center, Oregon Hearing Research Center and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

“I consider Dick and Deanne to be among OHSU’s most loyal allies, partners and ambassadors,” said OHSU President Joe Robertson, M.D., M.B.A. “When they are excited about a project, their enthusiasm is infectious.”

That enthusiasm began to build in 1984 when Dick joined the OHSU Foundation Board of Trustees and served as co-chair for the board’s very first cancer fundraising effort, an endowed chair in cancer research. Since then he has seen OHSU’s cancer program rise to national prominence to become the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. At every point along that journey, Dick has helped build community support for the Knight, and now serves as vice chair of its core group of volunteer advocates, the Knight Cancer Institute Council.

Dick and council colleague Rob Shick were instrumental in raising capital to establish the Center for Cancer Cell Signaling in OHSU’s Biomedical Research Building, advancing the Knight’s pioneering work fighting cancer at the molecular level. Later Dick and Deanne established the Rubinstein Radiation Research Scholars program to support and develop the next generation of radiation oncology researchers.

Deanne has also spent decades advocating for OHSU. In 1984 she was recruited by the late Betty Gray, then chair of the Marquam Hill Steering Committee – a group of volunteers working to advance OHSU through community outreach – to form a new group to develop the university’s art collection.

“We believe art creates a healing, comforting and intellectually stimulating environment for everyone,” said Deanne about the group’s philosophy. Over the years Deanne and the Marquam Hill Art Committee have developed OHSU’s exceptional collection of more than 850 individual pieces of regional art, many of which have been gifts from private supporters.

Together the Rubinsteins put great faith in good people, and it is this loyalty that keeps them engaged in OHSU’s work on so many fronts. “When I think about everything we’ve put into OHSU, and the relationships we’ve built over the years, I can only conclude that Deanne and I are the big winners here,” said Dick. “We’ve received so much more than we’ve given. It just keeps getting better.”